METHOD AND HAND LUGGAGE TROLLEY FOR FACILITATING A FLOW OF PASSENGERS IN AN AIRPORT TERMINAL

• US 20160080913A1
• Filed: 03/27/2014
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exruptive A/S
• Original Assignee: UDVIKLINGSSELSKABET AF 2014 APS
• Inventors: Thogersen, Lars
• Granted Patent: US 9,736,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2202/24 Suit-cases, other luggage
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1424 Electronic display devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/366 Check-in counters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method and a trolley for facilitating a passenger'"'"'s way through an airport terminal, and improved methods for boarding aircrafts. The trolley may include an interface, such as a boarding card reader, for receiving information identifying the passenger and/or the passenger'"'"'s flight. Mobile wireless communication means may be provided at the trolley for receiving airport information data, such as flight departure gate, delay or cancellation information, from a computer network within an airport terminal. Data output means are provided to communicate information to the passenger. The trolley may be X-ray compliant. A communication interface may be provided at the trolley for communicating with a portable device, such as a smartphone or equivalent means of the passenger. Individually selected information based on passenger identity, destination, position or past collection of passenger behaviour may be disseminated to passengers on an individual basis. Passengers may be allowed to pass a gate for aircraft boarding only when called in accordance with a predetermined boarding sequence on the basis of, e.g., seat number or seat row.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a flow of passengers in an airport terminal, comprising the steps of:

providing a computer network within the airport terminal, the computer network being optionally connected to one or more remote networks, the computer network within the airport terminal comprising;

at least one server comprising a data storage unit storing airport information data selected from flight departure information and passenger wayfinding information;

stationary wireless communication means for dissemination of the airport information data;

continuously or intermittently updating the airport information data in the data storage unit of the at least one server;

providing a plurality of hand luggage trolleys;

assigning one of the trolleys to each of the passengers, each trolley comprising;

an interface for receiving information identifying the passenger, to which the trolley is assigned, and/or the passenger'"'"'s flight;

an electronic control unit connected to the interface, the electronic control unit comprising an electronic memory for storing passenger identification data and/or flight data of the passenger'"'"'s flight;

mobile wireless communication means for receiving, at the electronic control unit, said airport information data from the at least one server via the stationary wireless communication means of the computer network within the airport terminal, the mobile wireless communication being connected to the electronic control unit and arranged to forward the airport information data to the electronic control unit;

data output means connected to the electronic control unit and arranged to communicate, to the passenger, to which the trolley is assigned, at least a part of the airport information received by the electronic control unit;

identifying, at each of the trolleys, the passenger, to which the trolley is assigned, and/or the passenger'"'"'s flight;

continuously or intermittently disseminating the airport information data to the trolleys;

receiving the airport information data at each of the trolleys;

selecting parts of the disseminated airport information data, to be forwarded to the passenger, to which the trolley is assigned;

outputting to the passenger the selected parts of the airport information data;

repeating the steps of updating, disseminating and receiving the airport information data as well as the step of outputting the selected parts of the airport information data, as long as the trolley remains assigned to the passenger, so as to thereby facilitate each of the passenger'"'"'s way through the airport terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trolley comprises a communication port for communicating with a portable device belonging to the passenger, such as a mobile telephone, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer or laptop computer, and wherein said communication port comprises the data output means for communicating at least said selected part of said airport information to the passenger;

and wherein;

the passenger carries the portable device when entering the airport terminal;

the passenger establishes or accepts a connection of the portable device to the trolley;

the step of outputting the selected parts of the airport information data to the passenger comprises the step of communicating said selected parts from the electronic control unit through said communication port and generating an alert at the portable device;

the passenger disconnects the portable device from the trolley at the latest when boarding the flight.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the communication port of the portable device further comprises the interface of the trolley for receiving information identifying the passenger and/or the passenger'"'"'s flight;

and wherein;

the step of identifying the passenger and/or the passenger'"'"'s flight comprises the steps of communicating data from the portable device to the electronic control unit of the trolley through the communication port.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the trolley comprises an energy accumulating and the portable device comprises a battery;

and wherein the method comprises charging the battery of the portable device, while it remains in the vicinity of the trolley.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the portable device has been preloaded with software allowing it to communicate with the electronic control unit of the trolley before the passenger establishes or accepts the connection of the portable device to the trolley.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit of the trolley is configured to load, into the portable device, software allowing the electronic control unit to communicate with the portable device;

wherein the step of establishing a connection of the portable device to the trolley occurs prior to a further step of loading said software into the portable device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trolley comprises a frame and a user interface embedded in or integrated with the frame, such as a screen or monitor thereof;

and wherein the steps of identifying the passenger and/or the passenger'"'"'s flight and outputting said selected parts of the airport information data to the passenger occur via the user interface.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of tracking, at said at least one server of the computer network, each of the trolleys'"'"' whereabouts.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the airport terminal comprises an area open to the public, a departure area accessible to flight passengers only, and a security checkpoint area separating the public area from the departure area, and wherein the steps of

assigning one of the trolleys to each of the passengers and

identifying, at the trolley, the passenger and/or the passenger'"'"'s flight occur in the area open to the public in case of passengers whose air journey commences in the airport;

and

wherein said steps of assigning and identifying occur in a transit area of the airport open to transit passengers in case of passengers, who are in transit.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the passenger, to which the trolley is assigned loads his carryon items onto the trolley in the area open to the public, the method further comprising the steps of:

separating the passenger from the trolley at a site upstream of the security checkpoint area;

x-raying the trolley at the security checkpoint area while the carry-on items remain loaded onto the trolley;

performing a security check of the passenger at the security checkpoint; and

subsequently;

uniting the passenger and the trolley, while the carryon items remain loaded onto the trolley.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the security checkpoint area comprises a plurality of passageways between the area open to the public and the departure area, the passageways being staffed by human security staff;

the method comprising the steps of;

determining, at said at least one server of the computer network, a number of trolleys assigned to passengers, who are present in the area open to the public;

using said number of trolleys and optionally the passenger'"'"'s flight information to determine any possible need for increasing or decreasing the number of staff and/or the number of open passageways.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit of the trolley is configured to generate passenger convenience data on the basis of at least one of an identification of the passenger'"'"'s flight and/or the passenger'"'"'s location within the airport terminal and/or other information available to the electronic control unit;

the method comprising outputting said passenger convenience data to the passenger in addition to the selected parts of the airport information data.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected parts of the airport information data comprise a call, such as a text message at a screen or monitor of the trolley and/or other portable device of the user, for the passenger to proceed to the gate of the passenger'"'"'s flight.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected parts of the airport information data comprise a message for the passenger to board the passenger'"'"'s flight.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the computer network within the airport terminal is configured to prioritize the call for the passenger or said message for the passenger to board over the dissemination of other types of data.

16. A hand luggage trolley for use in an airport terminal in a method according to claim 1, comprising:

an interface for receiving information identifying the passenger, to which the trolley is assigned, and/or the passenger'"'"'s flight;

an electronic control unit connected to the interface, the electronic control unit comprising an electronic memory for storing passenger identification data and/or flight data of the passenger'"'"'s flight;

mobile wireless communication means for receiving, at the electronic control unit, airport information data from a computer network within the airport terminal, the mobile wireless communication being connected to the electronic control unit and arranged to forward the airport information data to the electronic control unit;

data output means connected to the electronic control unit and arranged to communicate, to the passenger, to which the trolley is assigned, at least a part of the airport information received by the electronic control unit;

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to;

identify the passenger, to which the trolley is assigned, and/or the passenger'"'"'s flight;

receive the airport information data;

select parts of the disseminated airport information data to be forwarded to the passenger, to which the trolley is assigned;

output to the passenger the selected parts of the airport information data.

17. The hand luggage trolley according to claim 16, the trolley being X-ray compliant.

18. The hand luggage trolley according to claim 16, comprising a communication interface for communicating with a portable device, such as a smartphone, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) smart device or a similar device.

19. The hand luggage trolley according to claim 16, comprising a rechargeable battery pack and a charging interface for charging the battery pack when the trolley is parked in a charging dock.

20. The hand luggage trolley according to claim 16, comprising a rechargeable battery pack and a generator for charging the battery pack, the generator being configured to convert mechanical energy deriving from the trolley'"'"'s motion to electrical energy.

21. The hand luggage trolley according to claim 16, comprising a fuel cell arrangement.

22. A system comprising a plurality of trolleys according to claim 19 and at least one charging dock for charging the battery pack of the trolley, when the trolley is parked in the charging dock.

23. A system comprising a plurality of trolleys according to claim 21 and at least one fuelling station for providing fuel to the fuel cell arrangement, when the trolley is parked at the fuelling station.

24. A method for boarding an aircraft, comprising:

assembling a plurality of passengers at or near a gate of an airport, each passenger being checked-in for the aircraft'"'"'s next flight;

providing a database list of the passengers and, in respect of each passenger, a flight attribute, the flight attribute including at least one of;

a row number of the passenger'"'"'s seat in the aircraft;

the class of flight booked by the passenger;

information providing a preferred or predetermined boarding moment for the passenger;

a disability, child or child-accompanying status of the passenger;

defining a preferred or predetermined order of the plurality of passengers'"'"' boarding of the aircraft on the basis of said flight attributes;

calling passengers individually to proceed to a boarding point at the gate in accordance with said preferred order of boarding, the step of calling passengers individually being carried out through wireless data transmission to a portable device in the passenger'"'"'s possession or in the vicinity of the passenger.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the portable device comprises a hand luggage trolley for use in an airport terminal, comprising:

an interface for receiving information identifying the passenger, to which the trolley is assigned, and/or the passenger'"'"'s flight;

an electronic control unit connected to the interface, the electronic control unit comprising an electronic memory for storing passenger identification data and/or flight data of the passenger'"'"'s flight;

mobile wireless communication means for receiving, at the electronic control unit, airport information data from a computer network within the airport terminal, the mobile wireless communication being connected to the electronic control unit and arranged to forward the airport information data to the electronic control unit;

data output means connected to the electronic control unit and arranged to communicate, to the passenger, to which the trolley is assigned at least a part of the airport information received by the electronic control unit;

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to;

identify the passenger, to which the trolley is assigned, and/or the passenger'"'"'s flight;

receive the airport information data;

select parts of the disseminated airport information data to be forwarded to the passenger, to which the trolley is assigned;

output to the passenger the selected parts of the airport information data.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the portable device comprises a portable device in the passenger'"'"'s possession, such as for example a mobile telephone, smartphone, tablet computer or computerized eyewear.

27. A The method according to claim 26, wherein a boarding identifier is pushed to each passenger along with the step of calling passengers individually, and wherein the passenger is allowed to pass the gate only when the passenger holds a valid boarding identifier.

28. A method for boarding an aircraft, comprising:

assembling a plurality of passengers at or near a gate of an airport, each passenger being checked-in for the aircraft'"'"'s next flight, and each passenger holding a passenger identifier;

providing a database list of the passengers and, in respect of each passenger, a flight attribute, the flight attribute including at least one of;

a row number of the passenger'"'"'s seat in the aircraft;

the class of flight booked by the passenger;

information providing a preferred or predetermined boarding moment for the passenger;

a disability, child or child-accompanying status of the passenger;

defining a preferred or predetermined order of the plurality of passengers'"'"' boarding of the aircraft on the basis of said flight attributes;

providing a normally closed access barrier at a boarding point of said gate for controlling the passenger'"'"'s access to the aircraft, said access barrier comprising a passenger-identifier reader and a controller for opening the access barrier upon detection of a valid boarding pass;

controlling the controller of the access barrier to sequentially permit the passengers to pass the barrier in accordance with the preferred or predetermined order of boarding.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein each passenger holds a boarding card, and wherein the passenger identifier is comprised in the boarding card.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the passenger identifier is pushed by wireless data transmission to a respective electronic device held by each passenger at the time of calling the passenger to proceed to the access barrier.